red eyes at dawn
by Aquarius Galuxy
Summary: War brews on the horizon for the two-legs, and merman Fai stumbles upon the most beautiful General he has ever seen. [2 parts] kurofai
1. Chapter 1

Written very quickly for completeoveranalysis at tumblr, originally through several asks. He was still halfway through the Shara arc when I wrote this without spoilers, which will explain Fai's character development in this thing. (12k words, written in 1 week)

I'm posting this now because I keep forgetting that this fic exists :(

* * *

 **red eyes at dawn**

 **Part 1**

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a merman named Fai.

Fai had the richest, most beautiful voice in all of the undersea kingdom, and merman and merwoman alike were envious of it. He could enchant the sharks to sleep, convince the anemones to their most vibrant shades, and touch the hearts of the stoniest cave-dwellers in the furthest reaches of the realm. Fai loved to sing.

But singing was not his only interest. He loved to explore. He had burrowed into the deep, dark crevices of the ocean, slipped into tight caves that resembled cracks, and swam amongst the most colorful reefs known to the undersea.

The day came when Fai, on his explorations, broke through the ocean's surface, only to see the strongest, most handsome warrior he had ever seen. The man was broad-shouldered and taller than any of the other two-legs in his company, and he had sharp features, a defined jaw, and eyes that held no fear.

Fai's heart galloped. His breath caught. He was _enchanted_.

The warrior did not see him, however, and Fai found himself swimming closer for a better look, ensnared as he was.

Alas, the handsome warrior was too far away on land. By the time Fai reached the shore, the warrior had ridden away on his inky stallion, flanked by dozens of his men.

Fai was disappointed. He swam back to his kingdom, haunted by thoughts of the majestic warrior night and day. What did he sound like? What was his name? Did he already have a betrothed?

Fai returned to the very same shore day after day, hoping for another glimpse of the warrior.

He did not sight him until a week later, when the man rode his steed into the shallow waters of the beach, scanning the thin horizon for something. His men stayed back on dry sand.

Seeing his chance, Fai beat his tail and glided through the water, all the way until he had wound between the horse's hooves.

The horse saw him. The warrior did not. Suddenly brave, Fai pushed his head up through the water, and waved.

"Hello," he said.

Sharp red eyes cut down at him. "What?" the warrior snapped, before his eyes grew wide. "Who— What are you?"

"My name is Fai," Fai said, and he wove around to the other side of the horse's hooves, grinning wide as the warrior's eyes tracked his movements. "Who are you?"

"I'm the General Kurogane," the warrior said, his voice low, accent faint, "serving under Her Royal Princess, Tomoyo. Who're you allied with?"

Fai blinked.

"Allied with?" he said. "What are you talking about?"

Kurogane's forehead furrowed. "We're on the brink of a war with Shara, across the waters. I repeat, who're you allied with?"

Fai stared. "There's a war?"

The General rolled his eyes. "The Princess predicted a war. If you are an ally of Nihon, then say so now. I'll have you captured otherwise."

"Oh," Fai said. "Well, I belong to the undersea kingdom of Celes. The war really has nothing to do with us. Will you be here often?"

"No," the General said, "there'll be patrols stationed here. I've waited long enough for news of the attack."

Fai's heart sank. "But," he said, "what if I looked out for the enemy's ships for you? Will you stay?"

By now, some of the General's troops had ventured forward into the water, arrows raised. Kurogane stopped them with a raised arm. "You can report to my patrolling men," he answered, turning his steed to leave.

Fai stared after him, aghast. "How rude," he said. "I'm not helping."

Kurogane looked back, red eyes calculating. He halted his mount, glanced towards the sea and back, and Fai knew the General was estimating his success in capturing him.

"I'm slippery," he told the General (and in mer-speak that was a _big_ deal in courtship), "you cannot catch me."

The general studied him for longer, and finally asked, "how do we win your cooperation?"

"Simple," Fai said with a blinding grin, "you will have to receive the reports from me, personally."

It seemed that those eyes of Kurogane's missed nothing, but Fai was content to present just this side of himself. "I can't linger here forever while you give me reports," the General growled, "I have other duties to attend to, a war to fight."

Fai looked at him, sighed. "Well," he said, "then I'm afraid we must part ways. It's really not that far a swim to the other side. If you can swim."

"I can damn well swim, you idiot," Kurogane hissed, red creeping up his neck. "Fine. I will receive your reports."

"Truly?" Fai asked, his heart quivering with excitement. "You will keep your word?"

"Yes," the General said with only a moment's pause. His eyes raked over Fai, and Fai shivered. "But there are days I will be called away to duty. What, then?"

"Then there will be no reports on those days. I will only give them to you," Fai said, flicking his tail. "Do we have an agreement, Kuro-strong?"

"My name is Kurogane," the warrior said, "but yes. How do I know you aren't lying?"

Fai frowned. He looked down at himself. There was nothing on him to prove his identity, and nothing of value to prove his word. He bit his lip, dug his nail beneath a scale on his tail, and yanked hard. It hurt. Blood seeped into the water. He held the translucent circle up to the warrior, who had to bend to reach it. His fingers were calloused and big.

"How do I know you'll keep your word, yourself?"

Kurogane met his eyes, and said, "I do not lie."

Maybe it was his tone, or maybe it was his steady gaze. Fai felt a shiver arrow straight down his spine. "Okay," he said, "I will be here at dawn tomorrow. Please do not bring so many men with you. It's kind of scary."

The general looked at him for another long moment, before he nodded. "Fine."

Fai smiled at him then, slipped backwards through the surf. "I'll see you tomorrow, Kuro-scary," he said, waving. "Don't forget!"

He felt their eyes on him as he swam away, and ducked behind a rock to lose them.

Fai didn't know how he was going to explain himself to King Ashura, so he put that out of his mind, and swam instead to the other side of the sea.

It would have taken a while if he were relying on his own strength, but he knew the seas as well as the back of his hand, and ocean currents were no stranger to him. In hours, he was coasting along the shore of Shara, bobbing his head up every so often.

Fai saw a great many things along the coast. There were children on the sand, and there were stretches where wild birds nested. There was also a segment of beach along a city where great ships were being loaded, men hefting boxes and crates up along spindly gangplanks. These were all things that didn't concern him, though, so he noted them with an observer's eye, swam until he was bored, and headed back.

* * *

General Kurogane was waiting at the beach the next day. In the scant light of dawn, Fai studied the men he brought from afar. There were six soldiers with him—still too many, but it was less threatening than having dozens stare at him. When he was certain that there weren't more in hiding, and that they did not have nets with them, he swam closer.

"Yoohoo," he called. "General Kuro-Kuro!"

The man spluttered. He rode up into the ebbing tide in a huff, glaring down. "My name is Kurogane," he snapped. "At least call me that!"

Fai grinned at him. "If I said no?"

The General's eyebrow twitched. He maintained his composure, though. Fai suspected it was because there were subordinates he needed to put a front up for.

"What news do you bring?"

"They are loading ships," Fai said. "Five big ones on the south coast. I think you've seen those before. Made of wood, large sails."

Kurogane nodded grimly. "What else?"

"That was all I saw," Fai said. "Why is there a war?"

"It'll be winter soon," the General replied. "There's been a long drought. They want more land to grow food."

"Oh," Fai said. "That doesn't sound good."

The General eyed him carefully. "Have you changed your mind?"

Fai shook his head, surprised. "Of course not," he said. "I was just feeling sad on their behalf."

"Doesn't mean they can take land that isn't theirs."

"Well, no. Like I said, I'll continue to help you."

Kurogane nodded. "Good. Do you have more news?"

"Not right now." He swam around the horse's forelegs. "Won't you stay longer?"

The General shook his head. He scanned the lightening skies and seemed to make up his mind. Fai frowned when Kurogane jerked his reins.

"Wait," he said. "What did you do with my scale?"

Kurogane looked back at him, at the shimmer of his tail. "I still have it."

"But what are you going to do with it?"

The General shrugged. He slipped a couple of fingers behind his chest plate and pulled the scale out. It was faintly opalescent in the light of dawn. "What can I do with it?"

Fai smiled. "You may continue to wear it close to your heart," he said, and watched as a flush crept up Kurogane's throat. "I'm just glad to see that you're taking care of it. I'm touched."

"I'm not," the General spluttered. He shoved the scale back into his clothes, back against his breast, and looked away. "I'm leaving."

"Will you be back tomorrow?" Fai asked hopefully. He didn't want to read too much into the scale, but the knowledge sat warm in his chest. The General seemed a good man.

"Will you?" Kurogane held his gaze. Fai nodded and grinned.

"Yes."

"Then I'll be here as well," the General said.

His was a breathtaking outline against the velvet blue sky, and Fai couldn't help staring as he retreated, men parting to let him through.

* * *

Fai's reports continued for days in a row. Shara's ships loaded slowly. There was little to tell the General but the same old, and Fai discovered that the Nihonese Princess would be sending ships out to intercept their enemy's.

In this time, the number of men accompanying the General decreased. Fai blinked when he found Kurogane alone on the shore one day, stallion by his side. He swam forward and waved, and waited while the man splashed through the waves on his strange two legs.

"All alone today?" he asked, flicking his tail in the way that merwomen preferred to do. The patch of skin on his tail was still raw. It would take a while for another scale to grow in its place. "Aren't you afraid I might attack you, or something?"

The General scoffed. "If you'd wanted to attack me before this, you would have by now."

Fai twisted on his hands, deftly, and brought his tail curling up behind the General's knees. Kurogane landed in the surf with a loud splash, flailing, dagger flashing in his hand. The weapon was easy enough to dodge; Fai caught his hand, slipped past that, and tucked himself into the crook of Kurogane's arm.

"I haven't touched one of you before," he breathed. "You are so very warm."

"What the hell," the General said. Red eyes glared, and Kurogane's free arm came up to grab at Fai.

"Be gentle," he yelped, holding his hands up. "I'm unarmed!"

That did not stop the General. Kurogane secured his hands, pinned them behind his back, and glared down at him. "The hell do you think you're doing," he growled, low and dangerous, and Fai felt his insides tingle. "I could kill you right now."

"At least take advantage of me first," Fai said, pouting. "Don't just kill me like that. That's an awful waste."

"What kind of idiot are you," the General snapped, eyes roving over him.

"Are you checking me for weapons, or are you checking me out?"

Fai fluttered his lashes at the man; Kurogane threw him back into the sea with a huge splash.

"You don't just shove people around like that," Fai told him when he surfaced, wet hair plastered to his face.

"I was checking you for weapons." The General got to his feet, one hand on his sheathed dagger. "What information do you have today?"

Fai's shoulders sagged. "Oh, come on," he whined. "You're no fun. I wanted to play."

"I'm a General of Nihon," Kurogane said. "I'm not here to play."

"Then why did the Princess not send you on her fleet?" Fai asked, swimming around the man. Kurogane grimaced.

"None of your business."

"Did she strip you of all your men?" He swam closer to the General, who backed warily away. Fai pretended to gasp. "You didn't disobey her orders, did you?"

"I did not," Kurogane said, glaring. "All she said was, it's imperative that I stay here. Which is a load of bull if you ask me."

"She left the big General all alone?" Fai couldn't believe it, but maybe the Princess was doing them both a favor. "So you're a messenger now?"

Kurogane swung a fist at his head. Fai dodged, eased into deeper water.

"You're in my territory, Kuro-fight. Don't be rude."

"For the last time, my name is Kurogane! And I am still a General." Kurogane had his wits about him, though—he did not attempt to follow Fai. "I'll be back tomorrow."

Fai wriggled his fingers. "Sooner or later," he said. "I'll try to be patient."

* * *

The General brought two men with him the next day. He rode his steed into shallow surf, and Fai frowned.

"You're way too high up," he said.

Kurogane ignored that. "Your news for today?"

"The first fleet is making progress towards your northwestern coast. They're loading up a second fleet."

"Anything else?"

"Your people aren't familiar with the northern seas, are they? They're headed straight for a pile of huge rocks beneath the water's surface. Which could shred them to pieces. Of course, it won't seem like much from above, but the waves are pretty rough there."

The General made a noise of aggravation. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier? Are they there yet?"

"They have three days if the wind conditions are right. Maybe four. I didn't think they'd actually attempt sailing across it." Fai shrugged. "Of course, if Shara doesn't know about those rocks, it could be something you could use to your advantage."

"I should be out there," Kurogane muttered, eyes narrowed. He cast the horizon a long look.

"Maybe your Princess thinks there are more important things you have to be doing here."

"Tch." The General glanced at his men, jerked his chin at Fai. Suspicious, Fai studied the trio, flicking his tail so he inched into deeper water. "The Princess Tomoyo sends her greetings," Kurogane said stiffly. "On behalf of Nihon, we're extending these gifts of friendship to your kingdom, Celes. I need you to deliver this to your King."

Fai watched, dumbstruck, as the General's men slid off their horses and splashed into the water, unstrapping little red-brown chests from the backs of their mounts. "What are in those?"

"Jewels and gold." Kurogane waved to one chest. His soldier opened it. A little pile of colorful gems nestled on rich cloth within, cut and polished so they glinted in a multitude of colors. They were pretty, and Fai was intrigued. There were tools made with silver and yellow metals, too, ones that were similar to what the Celesian smiths worked at the lava fissures. Fai had seen plenty of metal before, so these were of little interest to him. "And some stoneware."

In the other chest were two gleaming cups, bone-white with paintings in shades of blue, and a number of carved land creatures.

"The Princess didn't know if you could carry more than that," Kurogane said. "But we'll continue the gifts if your King is agreeable to them."

"I can take those," Fai said, itching to poke around the little gifts to better examine them. "But two chests are plenty."

"You will take all of these to your King," the General pressed. "They aren't for you."

Fai smiled and shrugged. "Yeah. I know."

He took the chests, raised his eyebrows at the weight of them. Kurogane didn't seem convinced of his honesty. It wasn't as though Fai wouldn't be entitled to these, however.

"King Ashura will receive Nihon's gifts," he said. "You needn't worry about that."

"You have access to the palace, or the King, or wherever he lives?"

"A little late to be asking that, but yes. I do." Fai laughed. "You should have asked that first."

Kurogane frowned. "I'll be waiting for a response from your King."

Fai tucked the chests beneath his arm. "I'll be back with his word tomorrow," he answered. "Will you be here?"

The General nodded.

When he had swum out of their sight, Fai surfaced by a headland full of boulders. He set the chests down on a shaded flat rock, heaved himself up, and began to pick through the sparkling gems, holding them up to the light. Jewels were rare undersea, and he so loved the sapphires from Nihon.

In the other chest, he found carved creatures of all sorts—ones with long noses, ones with sharp teeth, and even the occasional turtle, which had feet instead of flippers.

Fai spent a long time playing with the treasures.

It was late when he returned to Ashura's palace, chests tucked beneath his arm, spear in his other hand.

King Ashura was surprised by the gifts, and not-so-pleased that Fai had surfaced enough for the land kingdom to acknowledge their existence. Fai promised to pass his message on, to have Nihon swear secrecy about Celes.

He also convinced his King that forging a connection between their countries would be of value to their future. Nihon seemed prosperous and peaceful. Ashura agreed to return gifts of their own, packed in the heavy wooden chests that the Nihonese valuables arrived in.

The Princess Chii swam up to investigate their discussion; Fai's eyes grew wide when she began to finger through the gemstones.

"I call dibs on the sapphires," he said, between his words to the King. "And the turtles."

Chii stuck her tongue out at him. "That's not fair."

Sheepish, he asked Ashura, "or do you want those for yourself, Father?"

Ashura shook his head and smiled, dark hair drifting about him. "You may have them, Fai."

Fai grinned.

* * *

By the time he arrived at the beach the next morning, it was close to sunrise. The General was wearing a scowl when Fai pushed through the water's surface. His ire dissipated immediately, though, when he looked again at Fai.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Kurogane snapped. His eyes darted immediately to the sleek golden spear Fai held by his side.

Fai smiled at him, faintly amused.

"I come in King Ashura's name, General," he said, and bowed with a flourish. "Prince Fai of Celes, at your service."

Kurogane's mouth was hanging open. Fai didn't think the General was aware of it.

"My apologies. Are my things on crooked?" Fai set his chests down in the water beside him and picked at the elaborate chains around his neck. When Kurogane remained staring, he rearranged the circlet on his head, twisted his bangles, and tugged at his earrings. "These are really a pain to wear around. They add a lot of drag to oneself, which was partly why I was late this morning."

The General retained enough of his mental faculties to latch onto his last sentence. "You were late," he said. "We've been waiting here a full half hour for you."

Fai shrugged. "Well, yeah. I had to deliver your gifts to my King and catch a current all the way to Shara, and back. Then I had to rest, pick all these up and bring them here, and these ornaments tangle if I change directions too quickly."

"You talk a lot," the General said. Fai made a face at him. "What is your King's response?"

"King Ashura accepts Nihon's tokens of friendship. In return, we present these." Fai lifted the chests, opened them to drain the water that had collected within. Kurogane nodded for his men to receive them. "In this chest, we have some of our rarest corals. I'm not sure if they'll survive in your palace, though. We've never tried raising them out here. Maybe you should bring some seawater with you."

"Noted," the General said. "Thank you."

"In this chest, we have precious stones from the sea. Some jewelry. Your Princess might like them." Fai handed the second chest over, watched as the General's men retreated. "Well?"

"We graciously receive the gifts from Celes and consider the friendship forged," Kurogane said. He looked as though he'd rather be fighting instead of making polite small talk. "Princess Tomoyo sends her regards."

"King Ashura sends his regards in return." Fai bobbed in the water. The General swept a passing glance over the chest contents. "Sorry I was late. I thought you'd still want your updates on Shara."

"Do you have new information?" Red eyes flashed with interest.

"It looks like your ships have avoided the rocks in the sea. Shara's ships are still headed your way. Their second fleet is comprised of smaller ships, by the way. So they might be quicker."

"Right." Kurogane thought on his words. "Where is the kingdom of Celes? We don't want to plan an attack nearby."

Fai shrugged, smiled. "It's not something you need to know. We'll inform you if you're stepping on our tails."

The General narrowed his eyes. "Fine."

"I'll see you tomorrow, then?" Fai turned so the rising sun caught on the gold of his jewelry.

"Yeah." Kurogane stared at him for longer, and Fai delved back into the sea to hide the heat creeping up his cheeks.

* * *

The General continued to attend the beach meetings with his men. It was three days after the gift exchange that he showed up alone with his stallion.

"Are you not afraid for your life?" Fai asked as he swam up to the forelegs of the General's horse. He had left his jewelry off as soon as he could—it was far too difficult to navigate the sea in secret with glinting metal hanging from his body.

"Not particularly," Kurogane said, surveying him. "You don't have your spear with you."

Fai shrugged. "I have no intention of harming you."

"But you can't have left it far behind."

"I have not. You're very sharp, Kuro-tall."

The General glowered at him. "Kurogane. You're very experienced with close combat. There's no way you'll go anywhere without a weapon."

"But I have none on me right now," Fai said, and smiled his most innocent smile. "Do you want to see?"

"No. I have no use for that."

But the man's cheeks had darkened. Fai was content with that.

"Why do you continue with this?" At Fai's puzzled look, he added, "this spying for Nihon. What's in it for you?"

"What's in it for me, I wonder."

"Don't play stupid games with me," the General said, forehead creased.

"Did you leave your men behind so you could ask me this?" Fai asked, curious. "Are you embarrassed by this question?"

"You're more likely to lie in their presence."

Fai grinned. This man had sharp eyes; it was exciting to be seen through by him. Almost intimate, even. "You haven't figured it out yet?"

He saw the moment Kurogane realized it, because his eyes widened comically.

"You— This— Really?!" the man spluttered. "Me?"

"I think you look very good," Fai purred, curling around the legs of the General's stallion. "I want to know you better."

"This is wrong on so many levels," Kurogane said. Red eyes turned to slits; his lips pursed. "I don't believe you."

"You don't have to." Fai shrugged. "I didn't think this would be easy."

The General's expression shifted to one of wariness.

"You will not control me, if that is your plan," he said. "I obey no one but the Princess herself."

Fai smiled fondly at him. "You're cute. But no, that's not my goal."

"I'll have nothing to do with a crafty fish like you, regardless." Kurogane scowled. He checked the sky and asked, "what's going on with Shara?"

"Their second fleet has set sail," Fai said. "They aren't going the same direction. I think they're targeting the port you have just down the coast."

"When will they be here?"

"About twenty days, if the wind is right."

"Tch. Maybe Tomoyo will let me fight this time. It's not too far away."

Fai's eyebrows drew together. "So you're leaving me?"

"I'm not beholden to you."

"Ouch. That stings." Fai cradled his chest with his hand, unable to help his pout. "What if I gave you your updates at the port?"

The General considered his words. "You're willing to follow me?"

He shrugged. "The port is not too far away from here. Or if you're sailing, I'll trail behind your ship."

Kurogane stared at him. "Why are you even doing all this?"

"Because I want a kiss!" Fai's shoulders sagged. "And you have not been forthcoming with them."

"I don't— I barely even know you," the General said, aghast. "And we're men. From different kingdoms. You're not even human."

Fai gulped and fell back, chest aching. "You didn't have to do that."

Kurogane's forehead furrowed. "Look, I didn't mean that. You're still a person. I just— This isn't the right time for anything."

"Well, yeah, but you could suffer a fatal blow and then I'll never get my kiss." Fai stuck his lower lip out.

"Fighting is what I do," Kurogane said. "But I will not fall easily, if you're that concerned."

He sighed. "I don't want you to fall at all."

"You're a warrior yourself. You know there will be risks."

"I do." Fai slipped further into the water to hide himself, so a wave crashed over his head. "I just— I wish there wasn't a war."

Kurogane snorted. "Then I wouldn't even be here, looking out for enemy ships."

"Does that mean—"

"I'll think about it. I can say that much."

That helped, at least, when the General nodded to take his leave. This wasn't what Fai had planned for at all. Who knew fishing for a kiss would be this difficult?

* * *

The General did not show up over the next few days. Instead, he sent his men, who stayed on dry sand while Fai approached them cautiously.

"I have no updates for you," he told them. "The General knows this."

"General Kurogane wishes you to know that he will be back," one soldier said. "The Princess has summoned an audience with him."

"Oh. Was the coral alive when your Princess received it?"

"I'm afraid we don't know," the soldier answered.

Fai sighed. "When will he be back?"

"In another four days."

He thanked them and left, retrieving his spear from where he'd wedged it between some boulders.

Kurogane took six days to return. Fai surfaced at dawn each day to scan the beach, but there was no sign of the General, and he did not approach the soldiers on their horses. The situation with Shara crawled along. They were loading more ships. Fai wondered if they had civilians on board, people who could not fight, but who would try to find their way onto shore. It would be terrible if those ships sunk.

All the same, this was not his war, and he did not want to jeopardize the General's mission.

He did not tell King Ashura what he felt for the General, either. But Ashura was his father, and Fai suspected the King knew, or would find out sooner or later. He had been spending a lot more time away from the palace since he met Kurogane. Chii, at least, would complain about his absence, and that could not be a good thing.

* * *

When the General returned, Fai's heart almost leaped from his chest.

Kurogane showed up alone on the beach. In his excitement, Fai shot through the water towards him. It was a testimony to his speed, then, that the General immediately backed away at his approach, only to stumble on soft, shifting sand and yelp when Fai tackled him around his thighs.

They made similar grunts hitting the ground.

"The hell," Kurogane snapped.

Fai grinned up at him. "Welcome back!"

"Will you get off my legs." The General scowled, and Fai rolled off, brushing imaginary sand off his chest plate. It didn't really help. Fai's hands left more sand than they attempted to clean, and the swash crept up beneath them, soaking through the back of the General's uniform. "Damn it!"

"You could take it off to dry," Fai said. "I'll even help you with them."

"No way." Kurogane glared, got to his feet. "You'll just get me wetter."

"I'll get you slippery." He wriggled his eyebrows, but the General did not seem fazed. Fai sighed. "We have communication problems."

"You think?"

"When I say 'slippery', I meant here." Fai reached up for the tops of his legs, and Kurogane batted his hand away with a glare.

"You're not touching anything," he growled.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Hell no!" Kurogane backed off, further up onto dry sand, and Fai made a face.

"I can't reach you from here."

"Exactly the point."

He sighed again. "So did you miss me?"

"No." Another glare.

"That's not fair," Fai said. "Because I missed you." When the General didn't say anything to that, he added, "did your Princess like the gifts?"

"She liked the jewelry. The coral died on the way there. Turned white."

Fai grimaced. "Ouch. Guess we won't include that in future friendly gift exchanges, then."

"In the future? Are you talking to other kingdoms on land, now?" The General leaned forward, eyebrows drawn low.

"Well. If you think about it that way, we're just making friends. Not enemies. I can't promise you that my King won't attempt to extend a hand of friendship to the other land kingdoms as well."

Kurogane made a low noise of frustration. "Have you been spying on us for Shara?"

"No." Fai frowned, folded his arms. "I told you I wasn't lying. I gave you my scale! That hurt!"

The General absorbed his words contemplatively, red eyes dropping to his tail.

Fai shifted his tail away from his line of sight. "See something you like?"

"No." Kurogane huffed. He folded his arms. "So, about the other kingdoms."

"What's your Princess's opinion on Celes? Are you going to tell the other kingdoms about us?"

"That depends on whether you do that yourself first, idiot."

"Have you, yet?"

The General paused. "No. Have you?"

Fai shook his head. "So we agree to keep this friendship secret, then."

"You mean Celes and Nihon."

"That, yes. Are you wanting to keep us a secret, too?" Fai grinned, raised his eyebrows.

"There's nothing secret about us," the General snapped, flushing. "You're sitting there, and I'm over here. Nothing's happening."

"Yet," Fai amended.

"So," Kurogane said, glaring, "the alliance between Celes and Nihon will not be known to Shara and the other kingdoms."

"What about your men? They have seen me."

"I trust my platoon. They will not sell us out." There was a hint of pride on the General's face that was charming, and it made Fai smile. "What?"

"Nothing," he said. "You're cute."

Kurogane's expression just as soon shifted into disgust. "Wash your eyes, fish man. I'm a General of Nihon. I'm not cute."

"So you say." Fai grinned. "You can be cute and a General at the same time."

The General flipped him off.

"That just makes you all the more adorable." Fai laughed when Kurogane grit his teeth. "Can't you do anything more dangerous?"

"I can," Kurogane muttered. "But I will not have the death of royalty on my hands. Especially not when we've just formed an alliance."

"I'm glad I mean something to you," Fai said. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm here for the updates," the General said, folding his arms. "What news do you have? I've been gone a while."

"You've heard that your first fleet has engaged in battle with Shara, then."

Kurogane nodded.

"Shara's second fleet might reach your port before your other fleet intercepts them. Just so you know."

"My sources say that Shara's second fleet won't be here until after we've taken up arms."

Fai shrugged. "The winds change over the sea sometimes. They're moving faster now. And your ships are still making their way over. Don't you have more ships than twenty?"

"The rest are on their way," Kurogane said. He was frowning, and he had begun to pace. "Not all of them will defend the coast from our side."

"Attack from behind? I like that." Fai flapped his tail and stretched out. It wasn't as if he had anything else to do, and there were strands of kelp along the beach. He grabbed one that looked as though there were tassels hanging down its length, and popped the green-brown bubbles where he could find them.

"What about their port? Do they have any other fleets loading?" The General was glancing at him every now and then, and Fai braided a thin strip of seaweed through his hair. _This_ was something else in the merwomen's courtship rituals.

"Just the last fleet. I think you might have your hands full with these three. I swam along their coast while you were gone, you know. The third fleet has five big ships. The rest of their water transport are fishing boats."

"Huh. Good to know." Kurogane rolled his shoulders. His joints popped, and Fai watched as he heaved out a lungful of air. "Means we can focus on the attacking fleets."

"So are you going with the defending fleet?" Fai asked. "What did your princess decide?"

"She said I'm to sail with the defense." The General grinned a shark's smile, and Fai admired the brutality of it. "I hope we'll get to conquer a ship or two."

"Don't kill the innocents," Fai said.

Kurogane's forehead wrinkled. "What innocents?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. If they don't only have soldiers, you know. If they happen to have civilians on the ship."

"Why would they have civilians?" The General threw him a sharp stare. Fai jerked his shoulders uneasily.

"It's just a feeling, I swear. You know, in case they happen to be on the ship."

"Civilians don't go on war ships," Kurogane said. "Or do you know something you aren't saying?"

"I don't!" Fai frowned. "It's just— They aren't really soldiers, are they? They seem innocent."

"It's a war," the General said. "If they choose to fight, then they are soldiers."

Fai sighed. "It's not nice to kill people."

"Have _you_ killed people?" Kurogane looked pointedly at him.

"Yeah, well. Sometimes it can't be helped." He pulled a face, and chose not to talk about the times he _did_ want to kill.

"Then you have no right to tell me who I can or cannot kill."

Fai scrunched his face up. War was tricky like that. "All right, then. What did your princess call you back for?"

"Military discussions." The General stamped his feet on the sand, glanced around. "Crap like that. None of your business."

"Oh, come on." He pushed his bottom lip out. "I was lonely while you were gone."

"Still none of your business."

"Will you at least sit with me?" Fai patted the sand next to him, and smiled invitingly at the man.

Kurogane considered his suggestion for moments. "No."

"Tomorrow, then?"

"Tch. Still no. I have to get going."

"What're your plans for today? Growl like a dog at your poor men?" Fai wriggled his eyebrows.

"I'm surprised you even know what a dog is, fish man."

"Sometimes they come splashing in the water. I bet they can swim better than you, Kuro-grump."

"I can swim." The General narrowed his eyes, but the very corner of his lips had quirked up. He turned to leave. "You'll be here tomorrow?"

Fai nodded.

"I want to see how you fight," Kurogane said. "Bring your spear."

A slow smile spread itself across Fai's face.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Part 2 should be up sometime over the next few weeks... look out for it! :) I've just started work on a novel._


	2. Chapter 2

Back to update this before I forget! I have been busy with a novel, and am now busy with another novella-thing. This was all proofread months ago, and so isn't really indicative of the current writing style. :( I do still hope you'll enjoy it though.

 _Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles and its characters do not belong to me._

* * *

 **red eyes at dawn**

 **Part 2**

It was perhaps the first sparring practice Fai had looked forward to in a long while. He was there before dawn, swimming in loops through the chilly coastal waters, and Kurogane arrived just a little later than he did. Fai stuck his head out above the waves.

"You're early for once," the General said.

"What sharp eyes you have," Fai answered. He grinned, pulling his spear easily through the water. The sky was turning a navy blue on the very edge of the horizon, so there was barely any light illuminating either of them. Fai could see the other man just as clearly.

Kurogane stepped up into the ebbing tide. "I'm not Tomoyo's General for no reason."

"And here I thought it was because you're the grumpiest!" Fai laughed. The General scowled. "Are you really serious about seeing me fight?"

"I'm never not serious."

"You're going to have to come further into the water, then. You have the greater advantage closer to shore."

This was a battle of wills, first.

"And give myself away when I can have the advantage on land?" Kurogane grinned. "You'll have to convince me to step closer, fish man."

Fai drifted towards him, meandering from one side to the other. The sloping shore prevented circling, and so he made do. "If you haven't realized yet, I'm not a fish."

The warrior had one hand on the handle of his sword. Fai darted closer, slashing lightly at him with the tip of his spear, and Kurogane's sword came singing out, a gleam of silver in the shadowy dawn. "You're about as much of an idiot as one."

"For your information, Kuro-silly, fish are actually rather intelligent." He parried the downward stroke that Kurogane sent at him, slipped to his other side, and aimed for the General's legs. Kurogane batted his attacks off. "Have you ever engaged one in conversation?"

"You talk to fish."

"Yes, I do."

"Guess I'm not surprised." Kurogane flicked his eyes skyward.

They were engaged in thrusts and parries, now, light maneuvers that were the basics a student learned. It was far easier for Fai to manipulate his spear out of water—there was no drag to slow him down—but the golden shaft was heavier, too, and would tire him out just as quickly.

He attacked with sharp jabs to the General's joints, edged back into the water when his opponent turned the blows back on him. Kurogane was knee-deep in seawater when the sky grew purple-pink, and there was no end to their darts and dodges, slashes and blocks. Fai was quicker than the General; Kurogane had strength on his side, power that had Fai's spear shuddering with each connecting strike.

All the same, he twisted sideways when Kurogane's sword swung down at him in a silver arc. Fai jabbed at his middle, smirked when the General used the momentum of his sword to carve it back up, thwarting his attack.

It was slightly easier to move when they were in deeper water. Fai jabbed discreetly at sand to keep himself upright while he scooted sideways; shallow water robbed him of his mobility. Once they had sufficient depth, he dove down beneath the waves to dodge from attacks, and Kurogane plunged his sword down through the water the instant Fai aimed an attack at his legs, blade slicing toward his head.

Fai spun away in the nick of time.

When he surfaced, water dripping from his eyelashes, Fai grinned. "Not bad, Kuro-legs."

"You're not bad, either," the General said. His mouth was stretched in a sharp grin.

Fai supposed that was high praise, coming from him.

Without warning, he threw a sharp jab at Kurogane's throat. The warrior jerked to the side, closed in and grabbed the neck of his spear. Fai tugged on his spear for leverage, beat his tail, and hurled himself at the man. Kurogane's sword came sweeping up.

He shoved at Kurogane's stomach so he sunk back underwater, darted around to the General's back, and grabbed him by his belt before he could fully turn, yanking him hard underwater.

The General went down with a splash and a great many bubbles.

Fai rescued his spear, put distance between them, watching amusedly when Kurogane came up with a splutter.

"That was cheating," he growled, brine trickling down his skin.

Fai shrugged. "Lots of things happen when it comes to life or death. Whether it's cheating is hard to say. Don't you think?"

The General sulked.

"So, is this enough fun, or would you like more?" Fai kept an eye out for the gleam of Kurogane's sword, closing the distance between them. "Do you need a hand back to shore?"

"I can walk," the General said, standing. Water sluiced off his armor, tinkling back into the sea. Red eyes flicked at Fai. "This is enough. Guess I'll never fight you on equal ground."

"I guess not," Fai said. "Unless you grow a tail, or I have legs."

They made their way back to shore, Kurogane trudging, Fai paddling when the water got too shallow to properly swim. The General shucked the outer layers of his armor off and set them out to dry. Fai watched. With a backwards glance, Kurogane moved himself further up on dry sand, peeled off the thinner layers so he could wring them out.

"I've always wondered about your people," Fai said, when the General was entirely naked. It was almost sunrise, and the faint light of dawn caressed the sleek, scarred lines of his body. "Why do you wear so many things?"

Kurogane squeezed water from his undergarments and pulled them back on. (Fai stared at the way his biceps bulged.) "I could say the same to you," he replied. "Why don't your people wear anything?"

"I have my jewelry," Fai pointed out. "But we do not cover ourselves. For one, clothes generate a lot of drag. Not especially wise while trying to flee an attack."

The General nodded. "What about armor?"

Fai made a face at him. "Have you seen my spear? That thing is heavy enough without trying to haul around other metals."

"We use leather here, too."

"Leather? What is that?"

Dark eyebrows quirked. Kurogane tossed a piece of armor over. Fai caught it. It was a firm piece of material, brown and smooth. It wasn't quite as strong as steel, but it was far lighter, and sturdy.

"You don't have that in your kingdom, huh?"

Fai shook his head. "How do you make this?"

"It's cowhide. We treat them with cooked brains."

The piece of armor dropped from Fai's hands. " _Brains?_ " he squawked. "That's... That's just barbaric! _We_ treat our deceased better than that!"

"Not human brains, you idiot!"

Kurogane came over and crouched to retrieve his armor. Fai wasn't touching that more than he could help it.

"What else do you make with brains?" he asked warily, eyeing the General's drying clothes. "The things you wear on your feet?"

"That's leather too. So, yeah. Brains."

Fai grimaced. "Ugh. I'm not touching you. That's repulsive."

"That's a good thing," Kurogane said, and snorted.

Fai followed the flex of the General's damp legs as he walked away. The man towered over him on the sand, and the way his body curled into a crouch was almost mesmerizing.

"What're you looking at?"

Fai dragged his eyes up to red ones pinned on him, and grinned. "The view."

Kurogane rolled his eyes. "Tch. So I assume your country doesn't want to trade leather, then."

"No. That is disgusting. I will not have that in the kingdom, if I can help it."

The General shrugged. "Never seen gold like you have on that spear. Harder than what we have. How do you even forge anything down below?"

Fai sent him an enigmatic smile. "We have heat at the very bottom of the ocean."

Kurogane didn't seem to believe him. "Right."

"Are you still carrying my scale?" Fai shuffled himself further up on the beach, looking curiously among the General's things. It didn't seem to be on the thin shirt he wore.

"None of your business."

"It is my business. It's my scale!" He frowned at the General, who had sat down cross-legged on the beach, sword across his lap. He drew a rag across the gleaming blade. "I reserve the right to know where it is."

"Not anymore, you don't. It's mine." Kurogane glanced up at him, and frowned when he saw Fai's grin.

"So you still have it."

"Maybe. What news do you have of Shara?"

Fai thought he spotted red brushing up the General's neck. "They're still loading the third fleet. The first fleet is almost completely down. Your Princess did well in sending a large army to counter them."

"The second fleet?"

"On their way here. Are you still headed on the defending fleet?"

"Hell yes." Kurogane looked at him from the corner of his eye, confident, and Fai grinned.

"You're a fierce dog," he said.

"I'm not a dog, damn you."

"You bark enough to be one." Fai picked at the other pieces of armor laid out, lifting the chest plate that he'd seen on the General. "What do you wear between this and your shirt?"

Kurogane waved at a third piece of clothing. It looked heavier, with patches of brain-cooked leather and coarse cloth that would provide both protection and padding against impact. Fai hummed, looked away at the various pieces of armor and things. When the General seemed not to notice, Fai stretched out for the heavy shirt, bringing it smoothly onto his lap.

"Hey!" Kurogane said.

He slipped his fingers into a hidden pocket behind the chest piece. And there was his scale, smooth and round and shiny in the weak morning light.

Kurogane snatched the shirt out of his hands. Fai blinked; focused as he was on the scale, he had not realized how fast the General could be. And the warrior loomed over him, tall and strong and forbidding.

"Return the scale," Kurogane said, eyebrows scrunched.

"I just wanted to look at it again," Fai said. Gingerly, he set the scale down onto hardened, exposed skin, that still had not begun to replace its missing armor. Kurogane sucked in a sharp breath. The scale did not hold, and it came off easily in his fingers. Fai sighed heavily. He set the scale into the dip of Kurogane's outstretched palm. "So much for that."

"It doesn't grow back?" the General asked. He was looking at the spot of scaleless skin, and Fai let him.

"I remember it growing back a lot faster when I was young. Haven't done that in a while."

Kurogane did not say anything. Instead, he retreated back up the shore, tucking the scale back into his shirt.

"I did not think you were still carrying it with you." It kind of made his heart flutter.

The General shrugged. He was looking at the sliver of molten red sun coming up from the horizon, though. "Thought it might come in useful."

"It's not because you hold me in great affection?" Fai grinned.

"I do not!"

There were other things in the other pockets of that shirt, but he had been too preoccupied with his scale to examine them. Thinking he'd have a chance to some other time, Fai reached out for a metal guard. "That seems a useful garment, if it carries all your worldly treasures."

"They are not my worldly treasures," Kurogane muttered. He dropped the shirt on sand and settled down once more to clean his sword. "They're just supplies."

"And what would you use a scale for?"

"You seem to know a thing or two about how they can be used," the General said, meeting his eyes. "I'll find out what they are."

Fai frowned at him. "I was going to offer you another scale since you like it so much, but I've decided not to."

A black eyebrow quirked up. "I have no use for another."

"Is that because one scale makes it all the more special?" Fai slipped a lilt into his voice, and it worked, because the General's face turned red. "How romantic!"

"No! But you can tell me what metals are in your spear."

"That's a secret," Fai said.

"Tell me something else, then."

They talked, about harmless things like what their people ate and what they lived in, and Kurogane sheathed his sword eventually, pulling the rest of his damp clothes back on.

"Shara's second fleet," Fai said, "I estimate they'll reach your port in eleven days."

"We figured as much."

"Will you be sailing out to meet them?"

"We'll set sail the day after tomorrow. The rest of our fleet will join us three days after that."

"And how will you know if they change directions?"

Kurogane pinned him with a red stare. "Are you traveling with us?"

"I'm traveling with you, Kuro-legs," Fai said.

"Then you will provide me with updates more frequently than once daily."

"Do I get a kiss for that?" He fluttered his lashes. The General clicked his tongue.

"No."

Fai made a face at him. "Mean."

"I do not give kisses to random fish men," Kurogane said.

"I'm not a random merman," Fai protested. "I'm a prince!"

"All the more I shouldn't, just because of that. This carries more consequence than kissing one of your people."

Fai huffed and turned away. His kiss was so near, yet so very far. "Do you at least _want_ to kiss me?"

"No."

He puffed his cheeks out. "I'm running out of patience, Kuro-stinky-breath."

"I don't have bad breath," the General muttered, eyes narrowed. "Idiot."

"Then prove it."

"I see no reason to prove it to you."

"Fine. Mean. Will you be here tomorrow?"

"Yes."

He wriggled back into cool seawater, sighing when the water lapped at his dry skin. As usual, the General was the first to turn away. Fai sank back into the waves. He wondered if this was really worthwhile, joining the two-legs in their squabble over land. The wreckage from the first battle was awful. Fai had not been able to approach it without his stomach turning. King Ashura would not be happy to hear about his promises.

With another great sigh, he beat his tail, delving back into the brightening waters.

* * *

The next two days passed quickly. Nihon had won the standoff against Shara's first fleet, and the remaining ships were sailing north to prepare for an ambush. Shara's third fleet was still at its dock. Strangely enough, the people there had stopped loading that fleet.

Fai couldn't see bad weather ahead. He said as much to the General.

With a great many men behind him, Kurogane boarded the greatest ship at the port. Fai watched from afar as he walked along the prow of the ship, sharp eyes sweeping across the sea. He waved. The General sighted him, and nodded.

Fai had agreed to bi-daily reports starting the day after they set sail. It would put strain on the amount of time he had in the Celesian palace, and though he had not many duties yet, he did still have to talk to the people of Celes every so often, and check on the patrols and smiths and fish herders. Sometimes Ashura wanted him to help with meeting the mer-lords and villagers, and sometimes he had to teach Chii what Ashura had taught him.

King Ashura was not happy that he was involving himself in the affairs of the two-legged. Fai had not yet mentioned Kurogane. Chii wanted to follow him on his spying, but he firmly told her that she had to remain in the palace, with their father. At her age, he couldn't lie and get away with it any longer, and Fai dearly missed those days.

On the second morning, he hefted himself into the tiny boat that Kurogane had ordered his men to install. It was a meeting point—the General would descend a ladder down into the boat, and Fai would give him his reports there.

So, Fai was early, because the ship was closer to Celes than that beach had been. And the General had probably not woken up yet.

Like he had done on so many occasions undersea, Fai sang.

He sang about the deep shadows and the silver moon, and the golden sunlight sweeping across the reefs. He sang about the playful clown fish darting from the sharks, the octopus that hid wherever it went. He sang about red eyes and two-legs and the scream of cannons crashing into wood.

The rope ladder creaked above him.

He stopped singing, abruptly, glancing up. There was a shape making its careful way down, and it was difficult to tell who it was from this angle.

To be safe, Fai closed his hand around the cool metal of his spear, and waited.

"You stopped singing," Kurogane rumbled when he was ten rungs up. He glanced down at Fai, sharp-jawed and broad-shouldered and handsome, and Fai smiled brightly at him.

"Did you like it?" he asked. He released the spear.

The General shrugged. "You're early today."

"Would you believe me if I said I couldn't sleep?" Fai watched from the corner of his eye while Kurogane settled into the wooden bench three feet away. His weight had the little boat bobbing, and it was a strange feeling, being shaken up and down like that.

"Fish like you sleep?" The General quirked a half-smile, and Fai's breath caught.

"Fish like me sleep very soundly in our giant oyster shells. When it's not busy trying to turn me into a pearl."

Kurogane snorted. "Maybe it's better if you were a pearl. Then you'd shut up."

"Hey!" He dipped the end of his tail into the sea, flicked cool water onto Kurogane's face. The man flinched, spitting and swiping at his eyes.

"Damn you," Kurogane growled, reaching over.

"Remember, no violence towards the Celesian royalty," Fai said, and took the General's outstretched hand, shaking it. "I believe I've seen this greeting somewhere before."

"You're a damn fucking idiot," Kurogane said, glowering. He gave Fai a tap on his head, hard enough to make him release the captive hand.

"And you're violent," he whined. "That hurt!"

"Like you didn't hurt my eyes splashing seawater in it!"

"Stupid two-legs," Fai muttered.

"I heard that." Kurogane punched his arm, lightly, and Fai accepted it as appropriate payback. "Any news?"

"The second fleet is on their way, same course. I don't understand why they stopped loading the third fleet. Do you think they're out of supplies?"

"They can't be aware that we've got info on them." The General folded his arms across his chest, leaning back. "We took their first fleet by surprise. They didn't get the chance to send a message back."

Fai winced. Those ships had been badly destroyed.

"Killing people really gets to you, huh?" The General glanced at him, and Fai hid his response by shrugging. "You sure you want to hang around?"

"Well, hanging around means I get to see you," Fai said breezily. "Which should make up for it."

"I don't want you caught in the crossfire. It can get bad. Have you seen a sea battle before?"

Fai shook his head, his insides flushed with warmth. Was the General... concerned about him? "How caring you are, Kuro-nice."

"I'm not nice. Just making sure my informant doesn't get hurt."

Maybe it wasn't a good idea, getting close to someone who made his chest ache like that. "Some friend you are."

"We're not friends," Kurogane said.

"Big, grumpy dog."

"Fish man."

Fai snorted. He leaned back in the boat as well, curving his tail in seawater and upending it onto himself. The cool water felt good on his skin.

"Tch. You're splashing that on me, you idiot."

"You're not flying into a rage about it, so I consider it harmless. Unless _you_ want to bathe me." He fluttered his lashes again, and the General looked away, grumbling.

"Not like I have a bowl to throw water with."

"What about the armor on your chest? That seems big enough."

Kurogane glanced consideringly at him, unstrapped the sheet of metal and pushed it past the rim of the boat. Maybe it was the way Fai waited expectantly for him—the General frowned, lifted the chest plate up. Saltwater tinkled back into the sea. "Doesn't hold a lot of water."

"Doesn't it?" Fai leaned forward. He'd thought the plate curved enough to hold some at least—

Cold water sluiced across his face into his eyes and mouth and hair, and he gasped.

The General barked a laugh, and Fai blinked to clear his eyes. "That's not fair and not very nice," he said, "but it felt very good."

"You did it to me. Fair's fair." Kurogane shook off the water from his armor. "'Sides, you're a fish man. Figured it wouldn't hurt."

"That it didn't. Do it again!" Fai flapped his tail. Water droplets flew everywhere.

"Tch." But the General acquiesced, and Fai grinned when platefuls of water fell and scattered across his body, wetting his head and chest and tail.

They spent the rest of predawn doing that, splashing water and pretending to be the children they weren't. Fai flicked water up at the General; Kurogane threw water back at him, and defended himself futilely with his chest plate.

They stopped when the first fingers of lighter blue stretched up over the horizon.

"I should get back," the General said, looking at the sky. The stars were starting to fade, chased away by the approaching sun.

"So you should," Fai agreed. "I'll be back later."

"Don't be late." The reply was gruff, but Fai thought he might have meant something else, because Kurogane stared as he dove over the side of the boat, leaving it bobbing on the water. It wasn't like Kurogane to carry on watching long after he left.

* * *

He had every intention of returning at their arranged meeting time. Truly. Fai had planned to do a simple sweep of Shara's second and third fleets right after his history lesson with Chii, and head to Kurogane's ship with what information he could gather.

Except there were people fighting on a handful of ships in Shara's second fleet, and Fai realized that none of them belonged to Nihon. This was news, and more than news, when people began to fall overboard, limp and lifeless.

It was a little horrifying.

Fai had seen some of these people crossing the gangplanks in Shara. He didn't recognize them individually, per se, but he recognized the clothes of the civilians, plain and unprotected, unlike the flat armor the soldiers wore. He swam up to them, winced at the coppery tang of cloudy seawater.

Some of the fallen were soldiers. There were more civilians, though, and one or two were still twitching as he approached them, throats slit, mouths working.

Fai reached deep into his heart for his soldier's calm. He couldn't afford to be jumpy about this.

Yet more bodies fell into the water. For every soldier, three were civilians, and Fai swam deep enough that he wouldn't be struck hard by a falling person. Mostly, the bodies around them did not thrash for very long at all. If they were fighting, did it mean they weren't innocents? Why would a disagreement turn so bloody?

He swam around to the other ships. Fighting had erupted on ones that had been peaceful before, and yet more people fell, more civilians than soldiers.

This wasn't how a fight should go. You didn't kill your own compatriots.

The worst thing about it was that none of it was something he could change. He was undersea, one against an army of hundreds, and it wasn't his battle. His stomach was a hard knot when he found the civilian who struggled most, heaved him back up so his head broke through the ocean's surface.

The man coughed, gasping, blood seeping through his hair. Fai tried not to stare for too long. He shook the human and asked, "what's going on?"

The civilian squinted at him, coughed again, and Fai tilted his head to avoid bloody spit. "Mutiny," the man rasped. "Let me... back up and... and fight."

"What are you fighting for?" Fai had to shake the man and repeat his question before he answered; it seemed the two-legs had injured his head.

"You don't... know?" The man kicked slightly, as though he thought he would keep himself afloat with his weakened limbs. "The King wants— wants war! He'll— He'll starve us before... before the winter... begins."

Fai grimaced. "Oh."

Big hands came up to grasp at his chest, and he tensed, thought about how easily he could spin his spear around.

"You have to fight," the man said, his eyes fixing on Fai and slipping away. His fingers were losing their strength, and Fai relaxed. "Fight them. No... no war."

"I'll pass the message on," Fai said. "Nihon will receive your word."

That seemed to appease the man. He relaxed into Fai's grip, head lolling forward, and Fai said a quick prayer for him. It wasn't any custom of Shara's, but Fai was only realizing now how little he knew about these people.

He released the man into the sea, flicked his tail, and delved down to find a current.

* * *

Kurogane wasn't in the meeting boat like they'd agreed. Rather, his fleet was beating a hasty retreat back home. It took Fai several rounds of circling, some yelling and waving, and more patience than he currently possessed to catch the General's attention. When he did, the man scowled.

Fai didn't bother climbing into the boat to await the General. He swam restlessly around it, craning his neck up as Kurogane slowly descended the rope ladder. The General scanned him multiple times, stepped warily into the boat at length, and Fai set his spear down between them.

"I have news," he said.

"Yeah? Well, so have I," the General said.

There were deep lines creasing Kurogane's forehead, and Fai wondered if he already knew. "You heard about the second fleet?" Fai asked. "The mutiny?"

"What mutiny?" Kurogane sent him a sharp stare, and Fai's stomach constricted further.

"You mean there's something else going on? Other than the mutiny?"

"I don't know what mutiny you're talking about," the General growled. "If this is your idea of a joke—"

"What's going on?" Fai asked. His arms felt kind of numb, suddenly. "You mean there's something _else?_ "

"The Shara bastards got into our port. They were on a cargo ship. You know anything about this?"

Fai gaped at him. "A cargo ship? They have those? I thought— I thought all they had were fishing boats."

"That's 'cause the cargo ships had already left!" Kurogane spat. "Damn it!"

He sank his shoulders into the sea, imagined the damage the soldiers would be wrecking on Nihon's port right now. "Oh, no."

The General was still watching him. "You didn't know about this?"

"I didn't— I mean, you have ships sailing into your port all the time."

"Tch. What's done is done." Kurogane blew out a breath. "What of the second fleet? You said there's a mutiny."

"I just left it," Fai said, glad to have the General listening to him instead of threatening to capture him for treachery. "There were civilians on board. They were staging a mutiny."

"I told you, they're all soldiers if they're gonna fight."

"Those aren't!" Quickly, he recounted the bloodshed on board the ships, the carnage of more innocents than soldiers. "I rescued a civilian—he wasn't wearing armor at all—he said they don't want the war. Shara's King is the one who does. They're using a lot of their winter supplies for the war."

Kurogane snorted.

"Not what I'd call a good idea, either," Fai said. "But I'm willing to bet they'll still have soldiers left to fight. Are you still carrying on with the ambush?"

"Yeah. We have ships closing in from behind." Red eyes narrowed. "But right now we're returning to land. We don't have much manpower left on shore."

Fai grimaced. "You're at least a day away."

"We'll be there before sunset. We're sailing at full speed." Kurogane glanced toward the thin strip of land in the distance. "And then we'll fight."

"I can't lend a hand with that. I'm sorry." Fai curled his tail out of the water; the General's eyes locked onto it. "I mean, we have a witch who's rumored to be able to turn merfolk into two-legs. But this... I won't be able to help much, even if I can walk on land."

"Tch. I'm not asking you to, idiot." Kurogane reached forward and tapped him lightly on the forehead. "We'll handle this."

"Please take care of yourself," Fai said, earnestly.

"Who d'you think you're talking to?" The General rolled his eyes. "You don't tell me what to do."

"I'm talking to a very handsome warrior." He fluttered his lashes. "You still owe me a kiss."

"I don't owe you anything." But there was a ghost of a smile on Kurogane's mouth when he turned to leave. "If all goes well, we'll clean up the port by tomorrow. Then we'll sail out again to meet Shara's second fleet. You'll be here?"

"I will."

"And."

"And?" Fai had one hand around his spear, ready to push off from the boat. He blinked when Kurogane paused with one booted foot on the lowest rung of his ladder.

"Don't get yourself stabbed, or anything. I don't want to see you late." Those eyes bored into his, and he felt, for a moment, breathless.

"Were you worried about me?" he asked. "When I didn't show up?"

"Tch. You were fucking late. Don't expect me to wait around the next time." The General lifted himself onto the ladder easily, face turned away. But Fai saw a hint of red on the tips of his ears.

"You were _waiting_ for me?" Fai crowed, breaking into a smile. "Are you blushing?"

"I did not, and I am not," Kurogane barked, and Fai laughed, flopping back into the sea. This was good enough.

* * *

Fai didn't see the General until the next day. He'd had to return to Celes to attend to his duties, and Ashura had wanted to know how much Fai had promised Nihon. All things considered, it wasn't much—just a fraction of his time. His King was soothed by that.

He met with the tuna herders, accepted a couple of fish on Ashura's behalf (Fai was not so much a fan of fish), and talked with the villagers on market day. He inspected the coral groves on one side of the kingdom, surveyed the wild giant squids, and chatted briefly with the octopuses. When he was done, Fai checked on Shara's third fleet again—it was still stationary, and their second fleet was still on the way to Nihon, with blood streaking down the sides of its ships.

When he reached Nihon's port, the General's fleet was still docked. It was quiet save for the occasional metallic clang; men were loading the defending fleet, and there were people standing guard by the gangplanks. Kurogane himself was nowhere to be seen.

By midday, the defending fleet had set sail again.

Fai caught Kurogane's eye when the General stood at the prow of his ship, and at his nod, made his way to the meeting boat.

"How are things? he asked, heaving himself up over the side of the boat. They were in the shadow of the ship here. It was cool, and he wouldn't receive a sunburn.

"Not bad." Kurogane landed on a bench; they bobbed violently on the waves for a bit. "Cleaned out most of the port. I have men there to handle the rest of it. We're gonna have more stringent port entry checks."

"Good idea."

"So it's just the second and third fleets left now," Kurogane said. "Any news?"

"Shara's third fleet is still docked. The second fleet is on the same course." Fai made a face. "I think the civilians are dead. You may as well kill the rest of them."

"If they put up a good fight, sure." The General grinned, and Fai smiled thinly back. "Innocents still getting to you?"

He shrugged. "That was kind of sad, you know. Watching them kill their own countrymen."

Kurogane breathed in, then out. "Yeah. That's pretty screwed up. Now's actually the best time to invade and conquer their land, but Tomoyo's not interested."

Fai stretched his arms, touched the tips of Kurogane's grimy hair, and smiled more easily when the General swatted at his hand. "I don't blame her," he said. "Sounds like a pain to conquer."

"You guys don't do that?"

He shrugged. "Celes is the biggest undersea kingdom, you know. We don't really need more territory. There's plenty to go around."

"Huh. So you're going to be the next King."

Fai made a face. "I guess. It's not like the Princess is anywhere near ready... and I'm not ready to be King, yet. I want to play."

They were both relaxed into the side of the boat, one bench separating them. Fai scooped water onto his belly.

"I can't imagine you as the King," Kurogane said. He was studying Fai from the corner of his eye, all over again.

"If I ever become King, will you be my consort?" Fai said it dryly, and the General gawked. "What?"

"For one, I can't breathe underwater."

"We have a witch. She might have a solution. Like maybe turn you into merfolk."

"Hell no."

"Oh, come on. I'm sure you'll love it in Celes."

"My loyalties are still with Nihon."

Fai pouted. "I doubt my King would let me become a two-legs, either."

"Is that even possible?"

"I don't know. They say the witch is capable of anything, if you have enough to pay for your wish."

"Sounds like a fraud to me."

"It's worth a shot, I think, if you love someone enough."

The General looked askance at him. "I don't believe in wishes. What I want, I'll work towards with my own two hands."

Fai smiled. "Very admirable, Kuro-strong. Not all of us have that much willpower in us."

Kurogane scoffed. "You're going to be a King. You better start working on it."

"Easy for you to say." Fai leaned over the edge of the boat to splash water on his face and chest, before turning back. "In any case, I don't think hard work will ease our differences."

He gestured between their bodies, and the General snorted. "Who even said anything about doing all of that? You're in over your head, fish man."

"Maybe. You still owe me a kiss."

"I do not."

"Don't you find me attractive? In the slightest?" He stuck his bottom lip out; Kurogane looked skywards.

"Just because I think someone's attractive doesn't mean I'll kiss them."

"What will it take, then?" He didn't know if he was still holding out for a kiss at this point, but it was nice talking to the General. The man was actually kind of very adorable. Maybe he was all the things Fai shouldn't be looking for, but he was tall and strong, and reliable.

"None of your business."

He sighed. "I should be going, then. Duties await undersea, so on and so forth."

The boat tipped slightly when he slipped over its edge. Fai emerged refreshed, water streaming down the sides of his head, reaching back into the boat for his spear.

"Wait." Kurogane grabbed his hand, calloused fingers warm and rough against his own.

Fai grinned. "Did you think up a romantic farewell of some sort?"

Instead of responding, the General brought Fai's hand up, pressed his mouth to the back of it.

Fai's smile slipped off his face. It was another second before it sprung back, brighter than before.

"There," Kurogane said over the thudding of his heart. He stood up to leave, and the back of his neck was a deep red.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Kuro-kiss," Fai said, a little more quietly in case his men heard. "Don't forget me."

"Damn you," the General said, but there was a half-smile on his lips when Fai blew a kiss at him.

Maybe things would be different tomorrow, and maybe they would not. Fai couldn't wait to find out.

 **THE END**

* * *

 **A/N:** This originally began as a series of tumblr asks. And... if you know me, few things stay short. lol. Anyway, if you're into a slow-burn friendship/romance, check out _The Wizard's Desire_ (available on Amazon) if you haven't already. :D


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